Spring Cleaning!

It definitely feels that way to me sometimes.

 

 

Today's MOPS meeting featured a panel of our very own Discussion Group Leaders offering personal tips and tricks for home cleaning and organization. It's helpful to hear from other women in similar stages of life who can provide tried-and-true suggestions for simplifying routine tasks and eliminating common stressors. What mom doesn't need that?

 

The fact is motherhood can be messy at times and it's simply not realistic to expect a clean and tidy home each and every day. When a home becomes more than just a residence (i.e. playground, cafeteria, office, etc.) the messes can multiply quickly and before long the clean-up projects seem to outweigh the remaining hours in the day.

 

There were some great tips offered today including but not limited to the following:

• Prioritize areas of importance - do you care more about the laundry being folded, toys picked up, or kitchen getting clean? Organize your cleaning time by what matters most to you.
• Ask for help - it's never too early to get young children involved. You'll be surprised at what they're capable of.
• Make a list - for anything...chores, meals, daily tasks. There's such huge reward in checking it off.
• Let go of unnecessary stuff - donate unused toys and get rid of unworn clothing to make space. This could also be a great mission opportunity for the family if everyone is involved.

I've often said, I always want my home to feel "lived in" and my intention isn't so that I have an excuse when it's a mess but rather I want to utilize the blessings of a family home and create memories for all who live here. In other words, while there are many days I've imagined what brand new furniture might be like and dreamt of walls without Tonka truck marks, I recognize the day will come when those dents and stains actually bring to mind fond memories of time well spent together as a family. My dad always recorded my growth in height with a line drawn directly on our door molding. It is still visible at my parent's home all these years later and not once have I ever thought it looked messy or unclean; quite the contrary, I always imagine the scene of my dad getting out the measuring tape and excitedly looking to see where the new line will be drawn. My prayer is that even though my house may never make the pages of Southern Living Magazine, hopefully my family will feel loved and cared for with warm memories of castle-building, dance parties, and piggy back rides (even if those activities take place in between constant loads of laundry and immeasurable amounts of sweeping food spills).